Bayou Kitchen Extreme Improv. Chicago style long form show Friday nights at 8pm ($5) and joined by Psychotic Pooch for twisted comedy at 10pm ($10). www.extremeimprov.com. Saturday nights short form show with audience suggestions, 8pm ($10). 1958 E 7th St. 704-502-8423.

Museums

Charlotte Museum of History The Faces of Our State. Through June 2004. A Scots-Irish Twelfth Night Celebration. Celebrate a tradition of old just the way the Alexander Family may have. Frolic with costumed docents and interpreters, tour the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander House, participate with colonial dancers at the Twelfth Night Ball, and learn about the traditions of this historic celebration. Space is limited. Reservations: 704-568-1774. $6.00 per person. Free parking. Sat., Jan. 3, 6-9 p.m. $6. Soldier's Stories: War in the First Person. Continues through Sept. 30, 2004. Where Eagles Soar. This collaborative exhibit with the Carolina Raptor Center compares and contrasts eagles in their natural habitats with their symbolic and historical importance. Exhibit runs through Apr. 4. 3500 Shamrock Dr. 704-568-1774.

Discovery Place Machine Shop. Get a lift from the pulley, spin wheels, gears and learn about inclined planes and more. www.discoveryplace.org. Omnimax. Now showing: Space Station, Top Speed, and Journey Into Amazing Caves. Call or visit website for times, www.discoveryplace.org. Speed. Exhibit and experience delivering a high-speed plunge into the world of high-performance, limit-stretching and barrier-smashing motion. Through Feb. 2004. 301 N. Tryon St. 704-372-6261.

Levine Museum of the New South Cotton Fields to Sky Scrapers. Tue.-Sun. Focus on Justice: Carolina Photographers and the Carolina Piedmont. Exhibit featuring photographs documenting the regional Civil Rights movement as seen through the eyes of Carolina photographers. Dec. 23-Jan. 29. 200 E. 7th St. 704-333-1887.

Mint Museum of Art All Aglow. Through February 15, 2004. The Art of Romare Bearden. The museum will put on display its 19 remaining works by Charlotte native. Through Jan. 4. Fashions of the Crinoline Era: 1840-1865. Eight mid 19th century crinoline fashions, featuring wide hoop skirts, from the museum's costume collection are currently on display. Through May 2004. Portraits of Black Women: Love & War. Looking for actors and models between the ages of 18 and 65. Children between the ages of 5 and 12. Actors: African American, African, Latino, Caucasian, Middle Eastern. Models: All races, All Looks. Sat., Jan. 3, 2-4:30 p.m. Raphael to Monet. Features 58 masterpieces from one of the nation's most celebrated collections of European art from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Exhibit runs through Jan. 11. Windows into Heaven. "Windows into Heaven: Russian Icons" from the Robicsek Collection of Religious Art, presents a group of sixty-five 18th and 19th century Russian icons. Dec. 20 - Feb. 15, 2004. 2730 Randolph Rd. 704-337-2000.

Mert's Heart and Soul Uptown Saturday Nite. Featuring singers, rappers, and poets. Sign up for the Open Mic Showcase. Details: www.motifentertainment.com. Every second and last Saturday of the month at 10pm-until. $7 cover. 214 N. College St. 704-342-4222.